Mustafa, who is Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) election director and the party’s Terengganu commissioner, said in his Politik Malaysia blog the events in both states have added dimensions to the Malaysian political scene.

Writing about Selangor, he congratulated Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) Khalid for his strict attitude and “without fear or favour” action in suspending special officer Yahaya Shaari for two months while under investigations for abuse of power.

He pointed out Khalid’s action is not unlike a corporate chief executive officer compared to a chief minister who has to consult others before taking action, adding that a CEO has ultimate hire and fire powers in the corporate world but not in the sphere of state administration.

“Despite that, I don’t think Khalid should have done so. As MB, Khalid has to act like the MB and not like a CEO. As MB, Khalid has to refer to his colleagues in the state exco as well as the PKR leadership and others in the coalition before taking action,” Mustafa said, pointing out that Yahaya was the PKR state liaison secretary and also Selangor PKR election director.

He said Khalid’s action as a CEO had resulted in a small and positive matter turning into trouble due to its political implications.

On Penang, the veteran PAS politician also agreed with Democratic Action Party’s (DAP) Lim Guan Eng in the importance of the environment, saying everyone is concerned about Kedah’s plans to turn a water catchment area into logging concessions.

“But as a colleague in Pakatan Rakyat, Lim Guan Eng should not have attacked Kedah Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak without consultations or in a nicer way,” Mustafa wrote.

He criticised Lim’s reasoning that Azizan was using a Sarawak logging firm that was friendly with the Barisan Nasional government, saying it is no different from Lim appointing Gerakan leaders for an important state company in Penang.

“That is not business anymore. It is bringing in the enemy into the household which is more dangerous than the business relationship being done by the Kedah MB,” said Mustafa.

“I don’t like to criticise simply but if everyone has opened the space to hit at each other openly or to open the Pandora’s box, we have to get in as well,” he said in ending his first posting.